Legends of Zelda - The City of Gold
by The Weasel
Summary: Chapter 1 just finished. I go to #2 maybe tomorrow. Please R&R!
1. The Crime of the Century

Disclaimer: I am by no means the type of genius who could create something like Legends of Zelda, which is copyrighted to Nintendo, or something. Some of the characters in here are under their copyright too, and being a mere middle class citizen, I have no desire to infringe upon their materials.  
  
Note: this was started in 8th grade and I picked it up again. Please dont be critical about the gods, its in a parallel universe. If they could have different gods in MM, why not here? Also, it jumps around a bit, so just try to follow the POV changes as if they were a camera swinging from one thing to the next. If you get confused, just read it over.  
  
  
  
Legend of Zelda: The City of Gold  
  
By The Weasel  
  
  
  
Chapter 1: The Crime of the Century  
  
  
  
The Moon shined through the trees, making a pattern on the ground like pale blue stars on a dark brown leafy sky. A leaf on the ground quivered, shaken by a small insect, which crawled out from a gap in between the leaf and the brown earth. It's antennae felt the crisp, cool, autumn air around it. It was a night on which one can feel a blanket of magic and mystery upon him or her. Even the small round six-legged troglodyte shivered with a life force that connected all. The spots on his brown shell would remind a passing creature, most probably a lizard or small bird or mammal, of the ground that he hugged so closely. He crawled slowly across the vast expanse, up to the base of a small shrub. The Bug climbed up the shrub's trunk and munched contently on a leaf. He remained here for some time, drinking the water from the veins and eating the nutritious plant matter. At this point he became tired of this plant and desired something a bit spicier and less watery. The bug spotted a spearmint plant near by. As he crawled across the leaf he realized that an enemy could see him, and sure enough, a bird swooped down from the canopy. It attacked in midair missing him by one of his bodylengths. He ran at top speed across the leaf and the bird landed on the shrub's branch and pecked, missing him by a half a bodylength. This repeated until he was backed to the end of the leaf. The Bug had a sense of finality, but just then the bird cocked its head and looked away. The ground began to shake and as it intensified, and the bird flew away. A shadow moved quickly across The Bug's awareness, and passed just as soon as it came.  
  
It was a horse who ran through the forest. The trees streaked by her like giant blurry towers. She was running as fast as she could driven by the snap of leather at her neck. Upon her was a medium load. It had fed her sugar, carrots, apples, and given her comfort when she needed it. The good things this load had done for her made it so much lighter. She was running from something, she wasn't sure what. The load had directed her from it. He was very smart, and good at what he did, whatever that was. It involved lots of running on her part though. It was a human that was on her back; his hair was gold, his eyes blue, he preferred green clothes. When he wanted her he played a beautiful melody that echoed in her mind, even from hundreds of miles away. Her name was Epona. Her cargo was Link, renowned thief.  
  
Link surveyed the forest carefully. He looked for the lights that the guards' torches gave. The forest was a dark wooden cave, lit only by the moon ahead. Link had always felt a strange affinity with the moon. He felt like he remembered something about a moon, in a different life, maybe, but you kind of get to know the moon when you are a thief, usually being out for hours into the night. Ahead is a huge castle. This castle was the place from where this entire island kingdom was ruled. This castle would tonight be the stage of the greatest crime of the century. Link deserved the honor, because he was no small time swordpoint mugger. He was a well- known bankrobber, sneaking in at night. Sometimes a shady character would hire him to steal an artifact from a museum, or something. Now he was after the princess's jewelry, especially a strange stone that was rumored to point to the direction of a City of Gold. At last, Link approached the spires of the castle.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Link threw his grappling hook up to a balcony, and pulled its rope to make sure it was safe to climb. He had obtained a copy of the castle's plans from someone and was sure that he had the right balcony. He began to ascend the rope at the end of the hook He put his feet against the wall, and walked, while pulling himself up had over hand. He had done this a hundred times. Link walked higher and higher, as he looked down he saw Epona waiting for him at the bottom, whinnying reassuringly. As he climbed, he passed a window, and saw guards standing there. He thanked the three gods that they hadn't seen him. Soon enough, Link found that he was almost there. His blood had begun to settle at his back. Link's head began to feel three times its weight. The world began to swirl, his hands slipped, and he barely snapped out of it and caught a ridge over a window with his foot. Link quickly climbed to the balcony and grabbed onto it. He looked into the room, and sure enough, Link saw Princess Zelda reading a book, a single candle lit. Her blond hair flowed down her back and she wore an elegant pink robe. She sat slouched, a dim frown on her face. Though Princess Zelda was legendary for her beauty, and energetic personality, she seemed depressed.  
  
Link silently hoisted himself over the balcony banister and silently pushed open one of the door sized windows. A soft sniffling could be heard emnating from the princess, her head in her hands, unaware of the malicious stranger not four feet away. Link began to feel unsure… Why her? So beautiful, so innocent, she was an angel! What son of Bakarae would rob an angel? ARRGH! Uncertainty is a theif's worst enemy! Link reassured himself, adding, Besides she's probably snotty royal politic-fodder anyway, the same royalty responsible for Tashe's death! Link resumed his cold "predator" walk, knees bent, arms bent and away from his sides to reduce noise, crouched low to gain the most force possible. He approached the weeping "angel" silently. Suddenly Link threw his right hand aroud the princess' forearms and pulled her, chair and all, down on top of him, throwing himself on the floor and held his sword to her neck. He began the poem he had been preparing for months:  
  
"Now dear princess, don't you flinch,  
  
And it shall end in but a pinch,  
  
But half your jewels I require,  
  
Your death is not what I desire.  
  
Then your necklace give to me,  
  
To the darkness I shall flee.  
  
By the time the sun in sky doth burn,  
  
I shall be gone and not return."  
  
"Please unhand me and I will do as you ask." Zelda said, quivering.  
  
Link returned the chair to it's full and upright position and released his right hand.  
  
* * *  
  
"You're a lefty, eh?" Zelda said reaching for a drawer in her vanity desk. "The oracle of Love predicted that I would marry a lefty." She withdrew the most beautiful jewlery in the hundred islands of Hyrule. She handed him exactly half of these. Zelda now had a request for her assailant.  
  
"Remove your sword from near my neck and allow me to face you and I will give you the pendant."  
  
The bandit's open hand was placed in front of her.  
  
"Fine." Zelda said.  
  
She placed the pendant in the hand and the sword moved away and the bandit stood back. Zelda rose slowly, not making any sudden movements as not to miss her chance. The bandit was a handsome young man probably about her age, eighteen or ninteen. He was clad in green from head to toe. He was dressed in the style of the Kokiri of Forastine island. He had blond hair and blue eyes. He was medium built, and seemed to have the look of a professional.  
  
"Now listen to me," Zelda said, softly, "Tomorrow I will be wed to Prince Tristaen of Koeokanth Island, a man I have met but twice, and a total jerk. I have made a vow before Ayeudine, goddess of life, to take my life if I am wed to him tomorrow. Please, take me with you, for I am too young to meet Bakarae. I have prayed for a savior and believe you are he. Even if not, you are my last chance. I care not where you take me…"  
  
She trailed off, seeing the cold look in the boy's eyes.  
  
"Don't cry." Said the boy, authoritatively. "Get on my back."  
  
"Oh!" Her eyes grew warm. "But let me pack…"  
  
"Be quiet and get on my back!" the boy commanded. "You will pack nothing. I will provide for you."  
  
Zelda obeyed, sad to leave her favorite things behind.  
  
Zelda was a bit taller than the boy and slightly heavy. She climbed piggyback onto him, ad they slid down the rope, led Zelda onto a horse behind him. He made the horse go to full speed for half an hour until she had to stop. Link and Zelda got off the horse and as Link fed her, Zelda wandered off into the woods. "Oh!" she cried. Link ran over to her and said "What happened?" "It's a ladybug!" Zelda said. The boy went and removed a jar from a pouch.  
  
* * *  
  
The bug had reached the spearmint plant and had munched for a long while, when a gigantic creature loomed down toward him it was a variety of colors, including a pink thorax, whitish limbs, and a whitish head with a pointy thing, two blue eyes and a pink mouth. It put out it's limb, and the bug sensed goodwill from the creature. It climbed up the soft five pointed limb and explored. Soon another creature came with a containter, and he was dropped in. The first creature dropped a twig from the bush, some dead leaves and some spearmint. The ladybug made himself at home and was carried into a large dark cave and left there. Soon the cave started bouncing, and the bug let it lull him to sleep.  
  
* * *  
  
About an hour later Epona galloped towards the hideout of Link, the young thief. It was a beautifully sculpted colusseum in it's golden years, but as time wore on into this current Hylian age, the colusseum was abandoned. Hundreds, no perhaps a thousand years had passed since those golden years, and now the ailing structure crumbled in peace. Her stones fell away, one by one, where only the trees could hear. They had grown up around her, and would live long enough to listen to her final collapse, and then their sons would reduce her to soil once more.  
  
Link closed his eyes and breathed in the damp subtropical forest air. He reopened them to guide epona outside the large room that he made his home. Tashe, Link's mentor from childhood had brought him here often. Link remembered those times they had together, and remembered Tashe... Tashe Reyune had been a jack of all trades. He worked mostly for the Kingdom of Hyrule as an asassin, taking out dissidents. He trained link (who he had found abandoned as an infant) as a Ranger like himself, one who could survive in nature for long periods of time living only by the law of the bow, and loved him as a brother. Link would never forget the day that Tashe was slain by the royal guard... There are other matters to attend to now! Link thought to himself.  
  
"Zelda!" Link whispered, "You awake?"  
  
"Huh?" Zelda responded, "Yeah, just leaning my head on you."  
  
Link smiled to himself, and said, "Well we're here."  
  
"Oh!" Zelda gasped, "Its so beautiful!"  
  
Link lit a candle and led zelda inside, here he took out some wood and made a fire under a crack through which the smoke would rise. He rolled out his sleeping bag, which he unlaced and laid a blanket over.  
  
"It's not a fearther luxury bed," said Link, "But we may be doing this alot, so get used to it."  
  
"I always wanted to go camping," said Zelda, "but father never let me because he said it was 'unsuitable for a princess'"  
  
Is she sucking up? Link wondered, Or did she really have that desire?  
  
"Goodnight, Princess." Link said getting into the makeshift bed, and taking off his boots and tunic.  
  
Zelda turned over to face Link. "I didn't catch your name..." she said.  
  
"It's Link."  
  
"Well Link," she said, getting up and kneeling over link, her skirt still on. "You made the right choice taking me with you..." she said seductively, leaning forward and pulling the string out of the top of her dress. Zelda's lips nearly met Link's... But summoning up his inner courage and chastity, Link denied himself the pleasure for which even his innermost muscle ached. The hand which would have pulled her close to him pushed her away.  
  
"Zelda... please... don't..." Link mumbled, that voice trying to pull away his control.  
  
"But... isn't this what you wanted?" Zelda asked, confused.  
  
DAMN! something within Link screamed.  
  
"I...no Zelda, I wanted the necklace. I took you along in exchange. You're a beautiful girl, Zelda, perfect... but... I just dont feel right."  
  
"Oh, Link..." Zelda looked like she was about to cry. "I was really acting like a whore. I'm so sorry... I dont know what got into me!"  
  
She laid down, her back to Link, her head in her hands.  
  
"I ruined it!" she mourned, "Now we can't just be regular freinds..."  
  
"Yes we can!" Link encouraged Zelda, "Tomorrow we can start from scratch, pretend it never happened."  
  
"You'll forgive me?"  
  
"Of course, I understand completely." He put his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Goodnight Link."  
  
"Goodnight Zelda." 


	2. Eiatlok

Disclaimer: I am by no means the type of genius who could create something like Legends of Zelda, which is copyrighted to Nintendo, or something. Some of the characters in here are under their copyright too, and being a mere middle class citizen, I have no desire to infringe upon their materials.

Dawn swept over Castle Island, the capital of and largest island in all of Hyrule.  The light swept over the horizon, in bands of blue, pink, orange and even a little green.  No cloud floated in the sky, and the trees stood awaiting the high noon.  Beneath their branches, the coliseum stood in a clearing, overgrown with vines.

            Another stone fell from what had once been the audience's seats, the crash forcing Zelda's eyes open.

"Time to wake up," said Link.

"It's so early," complained Zelda.

"Well, we have to catch a boat," Link explained, "and we have to leave before your father's men catch us.  Here, put on these."

Link turned away as Zelda put on the disguise of peasant clothes.  "And my husband," she added.

"Hello?" a voice called from outside.

"I guess I spoke too soon," said Zelda, "because that's him!"

"What vile ruffian has taken the princess captive?" called out the voice of an incredibly fruity noble.  "I, Airon of Koleokanth, shall smite him!"

Zelda ran outside, Link running after her, and shouted, "I came of my own will, you jerk!  Go away!"

"Ah, Zelda, poor Zelda, you needn't say that rubbish!  I won't let him touch you!"

"Touch me?  Ha!  I'd rather him rape me than you touch me with a ten foot pole, you filthy maggot!"

Link considered this for a second, then shrugged off the thought.

The fruity prince drew his sword and pointed it at Link, saying, "What filth have you brainwashed this innocent young woman with?  I swear, you will die for it!"  He recklessly charged at Link, sword raised.  Link drew his own sword.  

            Airon threw his entire weight into a leaping slash. Link calmly sidestepped, and the prince's blade kissed the grass.  With a grunt of rage, the prince whirled to face Link, while slicing with his sword.  Link blocked this easily with his shield, countering with a left to right slice that barely missed Airon's neck, then a right to left slice that Airon blocked, sending the stinging sound of clashing metal through the air... the swordfight had begun.

            Link would step back each time he blocked one of Airon's pitiful swings, and counter with one of his own.  Airon would block that and swing, and the cycle repeated.  The prince began to grin, thinking he was gaining ground.  Though Link knew full well he could break the cycle by using his shield to block, he played along appearing to tire slowly.  He would toy with the prince as a cat toys with a mouse.  The prince's ego fired up, his sword twirling with a fruity flourish.

            Link was unimpressed, but he patiently waited for a blow with extra force.  However, it was the prince that was growing tired (though trying not to make it visible).  Frustrated, he finally threw much of his strength into a reckless blow that Link had to struggle to appear subdued by, stumbling backwards a few steps.  The prince now charged, using all of his momentum, strength, and weight into what would have been a finishing move. Link simply sidestepped, and when the prince took a single step an instant later, Link swung back his shield to knock his opponent unconscious.  Indeed, it connected with a clank and fruity Prince Airon of Koleokanth flopped to the turf like a dead fish dropped by a bear.

            Link replaced his sword into its sheath on his back, and walked calmly over to Zelda.  "That," he said, "is a perfect example of what not to do in a swordfight."  Zelda giggled, and Link helped her onto Epona.  The two galloped to the east, towards the port city of Eiatlok.

*   *   *

            Eiatlok was once a great port city that was a stop on a trade route, which spanned the entire Great Archipelago.  The Great Archipelago comprised about 4,000 islands of all sizes stretching from the dark continents in the east to the edge of the Boundless Sea in the west.  Towards the southern tip was the Kingdom of Termina, where the trade route ended.  The trade route then extended northeast toward and almost touching the Dark Continent, slicing through the Y'tikkim desert islands, until it reached the capitol Y'ttikur, which was experiencing an unbearable famine.

The trade route then cut due west through a peaceful but secretive land of odd creatures called the Sacred Gardens.  Continuing eastward, it turns northeast once more through what is now the Forbidden Strait, between two warring islands. These islands were once ruled by the Cielic Empire, which was fractured into two factions, the Duchy of the Eastern Cross and the Duchy of the Northern Star.  Now as they slaughtered each other mercilessly and blockaded each other constantly, no ships were allowed to pass through this strait.  After that, the trade route is suspected to stretch al the way to the Icy Wastes, where a kingdom once existed that was now lost to history.

The Gates of Eiatlok, once of gloriously carved mahogany, were now moldy and unkempt, their joints rusty and unoiled, as good as stuck in place from never being used.  Upon walking through these gates, Zelda saw that the city stretched down a long slope to a harbor, where mostly fishing boats and shabby and suspicious frigates were moored.  The gravel crackled under her feet and a soft breeze kept blowing her hair into he eyes.

"I have someone to meet in here," said Link, pointing to a run-down and suspicious-looking salon, "Do you want to wait out here, or go in with me?"

"I think I'll go in with you." responded Zelda, "Prince fruitcake is probably hot on our trail by now."

"True," said Link, his eyes in the clouds, "but inside is no royal dining room."

"If I had expected such things I would never have come with you."

Link smiled. "My kind of girl." He muttered under his breath.

Zelda elbowed him playfully as they walked into the saloon, the doors closing behind them blocking a most dreadful sound.

*   *   *

            An entourage of ten Royal Knights filtered through the gate of Eiatlok, followed by six men with brass instruments with purple flags bearing an A on them in scarlet thread. They took up a formation and the six blowers sounded a four-note fanfare for the prince of Koleokanth.  Sure enough, in rode a small, quite fruity looking nobleman with dirt smeared all over his robes and mud all over his boots.  Several passersby chuckled at this odd sight, and one fell over laughing.

The Prince somehow swallowed his pride and demanded "Has any of you cretins seen a lovely young maiden in peasant clothes pass through this gate?" A few peasants stepped forward.  "Point to the direction you saw her walk in." he commanded, his voice cracking on the last syllable. Each peasant was pointing in a different direction. Airon slapped his forehead, thinking, "_This could take a while…_"

*   *   *

The saloon was dimly lit, and all around Zelda were vile ruffians the likes of which no princess was likely to look at in their lifetime, or vice versa.  However, an entire table of tattooed, scarred, muscular urchins was staring at one straight in the knockers.  "Hey boys!" she cooed like a Y'tikkite working-girl.  The urchins were about to let loose a slew of catcalls when Link shot them a stare that could reduce a barbarian warlord to a whimpering child. Zelda took his hand and glanced at them, teasing. 

"Zelda, you're such a hoe." Link said.

"Oh, I've always wanted to do that." Zelda assured.

"Well blast me blind!" A gruff voice called from a table in the corner to Zelda's left, "The infamous Link with a striking little lass on 'is arm!"

Link turned sharply, letting go of Zelda's hand, and grasping his sword. A man in a blue bandanna with a whale tattooed on his arm sat with a pipe in his brown-stained teeth.

"I never saw ye as the type who liked girls!" he continued.

Link pulled his sword from its sheath, saying "Draw, maggot, and taste steel!"

The man stood up and pulled his own sword and said, "With pleasure, ye barnacle scraper!"

The two approached each other, eyes squinting and readying their swords. Zelda's heart beat  painfully as the two men readied their swords and…

Gave each other a big hug?

The man held Link at arms length and said, grinning, "Aye! Link! Me little runt!"

"Captain Scriggs! So glad to see you again!"

The man was indeed about six and a half feet tall, looking like he was about to crush Link into bits, but something warm radiated from him now, like an aura. The two talked like old friends, chatting about recent events. 

"Zelda," said Link, "this is Scriggs. We'll be aboard his ship."

"Zelda?" said Scriggs, keeping his voice low, "_The Zelda?"_

"Yup." Said Link, "The real McCoy."

"But why? How did she get here?"

"She wouldn't give me the pendant until I let her come with me. A real firecracker, that one."

"Aye," said the captain, "I knew I recognized ye. A stowaway princess, that's a pretty pickle to have. The blasted authorities will be all out lookin' for her.  Well, we'd better get going."

Link and Zelda followed him out the doors, as Zelda looked back at the burly rapscallions and waved.

No sooner than they opened the door than they heard a familiar and unsettling voice call out. "Where are you going?" It was a high pitched, eloquent, yet vaguely stupid voice. 

It was a fruity voice.

"I've searched the entire city for you."

The three travelers, or would-be travelers, turned aroud to see a familiar man on a white horse, flanked by six royal guards, and covered in mud. It was Airon.

"What do you want," Zelda shouted, "You vile piece of refuse!"

"Me?" Airon said, shocked, "Refuse? Those two pugnacious rats who have abducted you are what I would call refuse!"

"Who cares about you?"

Airon's fury turned his pale face red, like an overripe strawberry. "You, young lady, are in HUGE TROUBLE! When your father finds out that you willingly cooperated with your abductors he will chain you to your bed!"

"I am never going back," said Zelda, enraged, "I…  and I am never marrying YOU!"

Zelda kissed Link passionately, as Airon jumped off his horse and ran over to yank her away.  Scriggs stepped in front of him. 

"I cant let ye do this." He said. 

"Get away you peasant filth." Airon sputtered, shoving past him. He drew his sword and wrenched her away from the stunned thief.  He held the sword to her neck and attempted to take her hostage but Scriggs grabbed Airon's sword arm and twisted it around his back. "Eek!" he screamed, like the fruit he was. Zelda wriggled out of his arms and stood aside as Link walked up to Airon.

"My personal gift to his fruitiness." Link said, and kneed him in the groin.

Airon became a crumpled up piece of paper, wrinkled and crushed, falling on the ground and bouncing.  The Knights dismounted and withdrew their swords and shields and readied for combat, their cue taken from the sight of their fallen lord.

Link readied for combat, and grinned at Scriggs as he did the same.

"It's go time."


End file.
